A brief visit to Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Anaikatti
Recently I spent a night at one of the greatest centers of Vedantic learning of modern times – the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam of Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati. My father has been there many times and has had the privilege of talking to Pujya Swamiji also. He has told me a lot about the ashram. My relatives have spoken about the ashram. I also knew about the three and half year program of intensive vedantic study that happens under the grace and guidance of Pujya Swamiji. However, all that theoretical knowledge paled in comparison to the actual experience of staying in one of the most beautiful places on this planet.
Even kilometers before one reaches the ashram gates, the surrounding hills, the greenery and the setting sun take one’s breath away. As I silently kept looking at the setting crimson orb darting between the trees and behind the hills though my taxi window, I knew that the Anaikatti ashram would be special. It was around half past six that I reached the ashram. The office was closed. But the ever helpful Raman ji at the ashram had already instructed someone to hold a room key for me at the reception. How thoughtful!
As soon as I took my keys I ran to Pujya Swamiji’s residence. Perhaps the only time I felt a bit tense over the next twelve hours. Pujya Swamiji is after all a highly revered Saint and one of the greatest teachers of Advaita this planet has ever known. In fact, He was recently awarded the Adi Shankaracharya Award for His lifetime contribution towards the propagation of Bhagavadpada’s teachings by His Holiness the Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Sringeri. There couldn’t be a more fitting bestower and recipient of this wonderful award. His Holiness the Jagadguru, in His speech, very affectionately spoke of how both of them shared a similar mind and how both of them revered Adi Shankaracharya and His teachings. One can watch the speech of His Holiness (in Tamil) when He bestowed the award here.
Pujya Swamiji accepted the award gracefully and also spoke briefly in Tamil. One can watch it here. In His acceptance speech, Pujya Swamiji said that His Holiness Himself is Bhagavadpada to the thunderous applause of the audience.
Raman ji then took me to the chambers of Pujya Swamiji who was reading. And introduced me. I prostrated and had the opportunity to speak a few words. After seeking Pujya Swamiji’s blessings I left. Raman ji then took me on a tour of the ashram including the temple in the ashram dedicated to the Lord of Knowledge, Dakshinamurthy. The temple also houses shrines of Lord Ganesha, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi – all in their forms of bestowing knowledge. On the way out I picked up prasad – a cup of boiled ground nuts. Ah! Heavenly taste! And then proceeded to the dinner hall.
I picked up my plate/cups at the entrance and walked in. A few brahmacharis served the food. Hot dosas, curd rice and vegetables…loved it. Everyone carries their own plates and washes them. There are signs every where educating people on proper usage of resources like water, electricity etc. Organisation and execution skills at its best I must say! After dinner all of us made our way to the Q&A session with Pujya Swamiji in the main lecture hall. The hall is very large. There were students with small tables sitting on the floor mattresses. There were also writing tables and chairs for those who wanted to use them. I could sense that I was in a classroom. Of course a bit more modern than I had expected. State of the art mic/audio systems, WiFi, students sitting with Apple Macbook Airs and iPhones! But don’t let that fool you. When the teachers and the students here get to business, it gets all technical. Because these are serious teachers. And serious students – who spend about three and half years together mastering Panini grammer and the prasthanatraya bhashya of Shankaracharya.
Pujya Swamiji answered random questions during this session ranging from some one’s interest in knowing the significance of the number “8” to a prakriya used in the Taittiriya Upanishad! A student from Japan came on the stage and shared her journey fom Tokyo to Anaikatti and her interest in knowing the truth. She had cycled and hiked her way across the world and had also stayed at the Shivananda ashram in Rishikesh. She finally found the answers she had been searching for in vedanta and came here to join the full time program. It was very inspiring.
Ah! The blessed prarabdha karma of some folks!
After a shade over an hour, the Q&A session ended and we all trooped back to our rooms. After a whole day of travelling my lights went out the minute my head hit the pillow. I woke up around 4am the next day and finished my bath & prayers and was about to leave the ashram. I had a long day’s drive up to a village near Madurai. As I stepped out of my room, I was greeted by a lovely refreshing breeze. The breeze was stong enough to move the trees and shrubs but gentle enough to still my mind. My steps grew slower and the inevitable begging thought ‘Puhleeesseee…I don’t want to go…puhleeeesseee…let me stay…’ started screaming silently in my head.
As I stood there silently in the darkness of the early morning, God’s grace reminded me that this peace – no matter how wonderful it was – was generated by an external force. The ultimate peace is natural to myself and will not come and go. Isn’t that the fundamental teaching at the Anaikatti ashram? See, that is the beauty of this ashram. It is permeated with the tapas of Pujya Swamiji and the other teachers and the sadhana of the sincere students from all over the world. It is so good that a lay student from outside – a passing visitor – can feel the bliss.
With a peaceful mind I visited the temple on my way out. And at 5:15 a.m the temple was already full of students chanting the vedas under the guidance of a Swamini. Here is a place that will make you feel like a laggard and a slow poke at 5ish in the morning!!! After taking the blessings of the Lord and depositing my room keys with the security guard at the gate, I left the ashram on my long drive that day. With a prayer & hope that the Lord will bring me back for a longer stay.
…perhaps for three and half years!
